Dwarf citrus trees are well-suited to our climate

Q:
We just bought our first home in North County and we
want to plant a variety of citrus trees. We prefer to plant dwarf
varieties, so they stay relatively small and will make it easy for
us to prune and to pick. Are there any that will do well here? What
are your recommendations? We also want to plant a variety of
deciduous trees on our property, but we don't want them to grow
huge and out of proportion to the house. Can you share some
suggestions with us?

A:
Thanks to our wonderful mild climate, you have an
enormous selection of fruit trees readily available, from tropical
mangos to apples, peaches and citrus.

These dwarf citrus varieties are recommended by Armstrong Garden
Centers:

— "Cara Cara" pink navel orange: Discovered in Venezuela as a
natural mutation and imported into the United States back in 1987.
The flesh can range from a reddish-pink to a deep-pink often as
dark as ruby grapefruit. The fruit is usually seedless, juicy and
very flavorful.

— "Shamouti" orange: Developed in what is now Israel in 1844 and
has long been a favorite in the Mediterranean region and now also
in Europe. Fruit is medium to large with few or no seeds and
extremely flavorful.

— "Okitsu Wase" Mandarin orange; developed in 1940 in Japan and
is the second most popular variety. The fruit is very sweet and
flavorful and peels easily.

— "Kishu" mandarin orange: An excellent new variety from Japan.
Its fruit is very sweet, juicy and seedless. This is one of the
earliest ripening in late October.

— "Pixie" mandarin orange: This is one of the latest-ripening in
March till July. Fruit is smallish, very flavorful and seedless.
The rind is thicker than most mandarins, but it peels easily.

In general, tree size and growth rate are determined in part by
climate and soil. Since these factors vary substantially, even
within the same hardiness zone, it's important to consider the
average height a tree might grow. For instance, a young olive tree
may grow to 10 feet over a period of 10 years, but then it would
take 50 years before it doubled its size to 20 feet. A young
California fan palm would grow to more than 50 feet in about the
same number of years.

If you are planting trees near the house, consult a reliable
tree nursery so you end up with the right tree and not one that
will grow out of proportion to your house. You also want to
consider how the trees will throw shade in the summer, which can
help your home become an oasis during the hot months.

My second question is about the specific care of the Dendrobium
phalaenopsis orchid. The name dendrobium comes from the Greek
dendros (tree) and bios (life), referring to the plant's native
habitat —— it grows on trees. This makes it an epiphytic plant, as
opposed to a terrestrial plant, growing in the ground. This group
of orchids contains more than 1,200 species and hundreds of
man-made hybrids.

The evergreen plant grows canelike pseudo-bulbs about 12 inches
to 24 inches tall, with thick oblong to oval leaves alternating on
the upper third of the canes. Flower spikes sprout from the
uppermost leaf joints bearing up to a dozen or more flowers in
white, pink, red, lavender or purple, sometimes in combination. The
exquisite flowers (which resemble a smaller version of the
Phalaenopsis butterfly orchid) last at least a month, if not
longer.

They need good bright light, but protected from direct sunlight.
Even though the dendrobium is a warm grower and prefers a
greenhouse environment or a sheltered spot, it can also be grown
indoors with ideal temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees at night and 65
to 75 degrees during the day, with adequate air movement. Keep the
growing medium moist at all times, but also make sure the plant is
never sitting in water, as this will cause root rot.